is the only way they can qualify themselves for
usefulness. You would not make much of an appearance in the world
without some acquaintance with numbers."

"I know that," said Benjamin; "and I shall try to master it, even if I
do not like it. I am willing to do what you think is best."

"I hope you will always be as willing to yield to my judgment. It is a
good sign for a boy to accept cheerfully the plans of his father, who
has had more experience."

Benjamin was generally very prompt to obey his parents, even when he
did not exactly see the necessity of their commands. He understood
full well that obedience was a law of the household, which could not
be violated with impunity; therefore he wisely obeyed. His father was
a religious man, puritanical and even severe in his views and habits;
a walk was never allowed on Sunday, and "going to meeting" was one of
the inexorable rules of the family.

Benjamin was reared under such family regulations. He was expected to
regard them with becoming filial respect. Nor did he grow restless and
impatient under them, nor cherish less affection for his father in
consequence. We have no reason to believe that he sought to evade
them; and there is no doubt that the influence of such discipline was
good in forming his character. He certainly loved and respected his
father as long as he lived. Many years thereafter, when his father was
old and infirm, he was wont to perform frequent journeys from
Philadelphia to Boston, to visit him. It was on one of these journeys
that he rebuked the inquisitiveness of a landlord, by requesting him,
as soon as he entered his tavern, to assemble all the members of his
family together, as he had something important to communicate. The
landlord proceeded to gratify him, and as soon as they were brought
together in one room, he said, "My name is Benjamin Franklin; I am a
printer by trade; I live, when at home, in Philadelphia; in Boston I
have a father, a good old man, who taught me, when I was a boy, to
read my book, and say my prayers; I have ever since thought it was my
duty to visit and pay my respects to such a father, and I am on that
errand to Boston now. This is all I can recollect at present of myself
that I think worth telling you. But if you can think of anything else
that you wish to know about me, I beg you to out with it at once, that
I may answer, and so give you an opportunity to get me something to
eat, for I long to be on my journey t